St Mirren booked their place in the final of the IRN-BRU Cup with a fantastic second half performance to see of The New Saints. 

The Buddies scored four goals in the last 30 minutes to see off the Welsh side and set up a final clash with Dundee United.

It was a scrappy start to the match, though Stevie Mallan had three chances for the Buddies within the opening 20 minutes or so. His first came after just three minutes when he picked the ball up deep in the New Saints half before unleashing a shot that nestled safely into the arms of Paul Harrison who was keeping guard for TNS. 

The midfielder then had a good opportunity on the 15th minute with a free kick from what has become known in Paisley as 'Mallan territory'. But he lashed the ball over the bar, as he did a few minutes later when he was laid off on the edge of the box by captain, Stephen McGinn. 

The skipper then went close on the half hour mark when he picked the ball up after a Sutton knockdown. He took a touch to compose himself before seeing his effort curl just over the bar. 

But the visitors soon grabbed a foothold in the match and should have been ahead when Ryan Brobbel's attempt was saved by Billy O'Brien. Soon after they won a corner from which Wes Fletcher should have scored as he header the ball off the outside of the post. 

The warning signs were there and TNS would strike with just a few minutes left of the first half. It was a Brobbel again who burst through and curled the ball sweetly beyond O'Brien to send the small contingent of Welsh supporters wild. 

Half Time: St Mirren 0-1 The New Saints

The Buddies came out of the traps after the break with half time substitute Lewis Morgan causing problems down the left side. His trickery won St Mirren a corner and a free kick with neither coming to anything. But it was a show of intent after a disappointing first half and got the fans 

The match burst into life on the hour when the captain showed the way as he levelled the scores. It was a terrific strike from McGinn, his first since returning to the club in January, to put the home side back ahead. 

Saints, buoyed by the equaliser, started to turn the screw with McGinn at the forefront. And the game was set to swing in St Mirren's favour when the captain was chopped down 25 yards from goal by Steven Saunders. The TNS defender picked up a red card for the foul and gave away a free kick in the process. Up stepped Mallan who curled it a low into the left hand corner of the net to put St Mirren ahead. 

The Buddies were ahead and had a man advantage which they would really press home in the closing stages of the match. With just over 10 minutes to play the hosts won a penalty kick after Aeron Edwards hand-balled Morgan's attempted cross into the box. John Sutton stepped up to take but Harrison was equal to it as he dived the right way and pushed the ball wide. 

However, that couldn't dampen things for the Buddies - or Sutton himself - as he scored just a minute after the miss. Kyle Magennis drove into the box before cutting the ball back for the Englishman, who would make no mistake as he cannoned the ball into the net. 

And there was still time for Saints to add a fourth to cap off a fine second half display. Mallan laid off a free kick on the left side to the unmarked Rory Loy who fired it low beyond Harrison to put the seal on a good days work for the Buddies who will now have a cup final match against Dundee United to look forward to.

Full Time: St Mirren 4-1 The New Saints 

St Mirren: O'Brien, Stelios, Davis, Baird, Eckersley (Irvine 90), McGinn (Fjelde 87), Storie (Morgan 45), Mallan, Magennis, Loy, Sutton
Subs Not Used: Langfield, Webster, Whyte, O'Keefe

TNS: Harrison, Spender, Marriot, Baker, Brobbel (Sergeant 68), Fletcher (Draper 81), Mullan, Saunders, Rawlinson, Cieslewicz (Quigley 68), Edwards
Subs Not Used: Wycherley, Leca, Darlington, Pryce

Referee: Keith Kennedy
Assistant Referee: Joseph Lawson
Assistant Referee: Anthony Cooper
Fourth Official: Greg Aitken

Attendance: 2,044

Jack Ross is forced to make two changes to the side that defeated East Fife in the Scottish Cup last weekend. 

Jack Baird comes into the team in place of Gary MacKenzie who is suspended while Cammy Smith is cup-tied and replaced by John Sutton. 

Academy player Conor O'Keefe takes a place on the bench after scoring twice for the U20s against Kilmarnock during the week.

We'll have all the action covered on Twitter and Facebook, while supporters out with the UK & Ireland can watch the match live on St Mirren TV.

St Mirren: O'Brien, Stelios, Davis, Baird, Eckersley, McGinn, Storie, Mallan, Magennis, Loy, Sutton
St Mirren subs: Langfield, Irvine, Webster, Morgan, Fjelde, Whyte, O'Keefe

With a place in the IRN-BRU Cup final up for grabs, players from the clubs left in the competition took time out of training to experience the magic behind a bottle of ginger.

While the secret IRN-BRU ingredient remained under wraps, club captains from Queen of the South, Dundee United, St Mirren and The New Saints got the chance to explore the home of IRN-BRU and A.G. BARR factory museum in Cumbernauld.

Players were given a tour of the factory floor in their personalised IRN-BRU Cup uniforms, as well as the opportunity to meet the team, try their hand on the production line and inspect a freshly bottled ginger.

The players visit coincided with the 21st anniversary of the Cumbernauld factory which produces Scotland’s other national drink, including its phenomenal new product IRN-BRU XTRA full of extra taste but no added sugar.

Adrian Troy, Marketing Director at IRN-BRU, said: “It was great to welcome players to the home of IRN-BRU and find out more about what it takes to create a winning formula for success. We wish all the players the best of luck for the semi-finals and hopefully their visit to the Theatre of Ginger Dreams can inspire a ballsy performance on the pitch.”

The semi-finals see Queen of the South take on Dundee United on Saturday 18^th February (k/o 5.15pm), while fellow Scottish club, St Mirren, host Welsh record-breakers, The New Saints, on Sunday 19^th February (k/o 4.30pm).

Jack Ross believes this weekend's match against The New Saints is going to be an interesting spectacle. 

The Buddies face Welsh opposition competitively for the first time ever and the manager feels that the newness of the tie, coupled with the opportunity to make a domestic cup final, makes Sunday's match intriguing. 

I think there's an excitement around the fact it's opposition we haven't faced this season and we won't face again," he told stmirren.com.

"There's a freshness around it and there's a chance to get to a domestic cup final which makes it a really attractive match.

"Regardless of the competition, it's still a domestic cup that you get silverware at the end of it. It's a good chance to win something. There's a terrific opportunity for the players to try and progress and one they will hopefully grasp on Sunday."

Jack has already seen the side in the flesh, having scouted them as Alloa manager earlier this season, and knows what kind of challenge they will present the Buddies.

I think their record domestically in recent years has been tremendous," he said. 

"They've swept all aside at domestic level and got European experience because of that.

"I'm reasonably familiar with them and we've done as much preparation as we usually do. We know they are a good side and a team that are used to winning games so we expect it to be a difficult match on Sunday."

The manager confirmed that Gary MacKenzie will miss out due to suspension, Cammy Smith and Josh Todd are both cup-tied and Ben Gordon and Lewis McLear are set to miss out as they make their comeback from injury. 

It's a 'Battle of Britain' for St Mirren this Sunday as the Buddies take on Welsh side The New Saints at The Paisley 2021 Stadium in the IRN-BRU Cup semi-final. 

The last time the Paisley Saints were involved in a competitive battle of Britain was back in 1980 as the Buddies defeated Bristol City over two legs to claim glory in the Anglo-Scottish Cup. 

The Buddies have seen off Albion Rovers, Hibernian and Ayr United to reach the last four, while our opposition has defeated Forfar and Livingston on their run to the semi-finals. 

St Mirren's journey began back in September when the side came from 2-0 down to defeat Albion Rovers 4-3 after extra time. That set up a fourth round clash with Hibernian at Easter Road and whilst the Hibees were the favourites, the Buddies again came from behind to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Stephen Mallan and David Clarkson. And once again Saints did it the hard way in the quarter-finals as they fell behind to Ayr United before claiming victory courtesy of two late strikes from John Sutton - goals that earned him the IRN-BRU's player of the round. 

The New Saints entered the competition at the fourth round stage and faced a long journey as they took on Forfar Athletic at Station Park in October. Greg Draper scored a hat-trick for the Welsh side, with two in the last 10 minutes, to help them see off the Loons. It was another trip to Scotland for TNS when they faced Livingston in the quarter-finals where they defeated the Lions emphatically, winning 3-0 at the Tony Macaroni Arena. 

The Buddies form in cup competitions has been near flawless with the Saints prevailing in nine out of 10 ties in all cup competitions this season. The most recent coming last week away to East Fife, where Cammy Smith's first goal for St Mirren was added to by a double from Lewis Morgan to send the Buddies into the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup. 

Meanwhile, the visitors have been breaking records this season after eclipsing Ajax's 44 year-old world record for consecutive matches won in top flight football. The Welsh side have only lost on two occasions all season. The first came against Cypriot side APOEL in Champions League qualifying back in July before their first league defeat of the season came last week at the hands of Carmarthen Town.

The New Saints will visit with two players familiar with Scottish football in the form of Jon Routledge, formerly of Hamilton Accies and Dumbarton, and Steven Saunders who also played for the Sons along with Ross County and Motherwell.

Sunday's match will be an intriguing tie as St Mirren face Welsh opposition for the first time in competitive football. With a final place at stake it's all to play for in the battle of the Saints.  

Our match day programme, published in partnership with Curtis Sport, will be available from the Club Shop ahead of Sunday’s game.

This issue, for the IRN-BRU Cup, Semi-Final tie against The New Saints, is a 48 pager with a £3 cover price.

The latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Kyle Magennis.
The Gaffer - St Mirren manager Jack Ross with his pre match message for the fans.
Matchday Gallery – A gallery of pictures from the post-match presentations in the corporate suite after the recent home game against Falkirk.
Buddies News Update – News of the latest happenings in and around the Paisley 2021 Stadium.
Last Time Out – A look back at St Mirren's Scottish Cup tie last week against East Fife.
Football, Bloody Hell – Alan Gallacher looks back at St Mirren's record in the Challenge Cup.
The Opposition – Brian Corry gives the lowdown on Sunday’s visitors – Craig Harrison's The New Saints side.
Hall of Fame – David Cochran highlights the St Mirren career of Hugh Murray.
Player Interview – A chat with midfielder Lewis Morgan.
Action Shot (Centre Pages) – Midfielder Kyle Magennis.
Last Time Out FlashBack – A look back at the recent Championship game away to Dumbarton.
Fans Corner – Ticket prices, travel clubs update, match info and dates for fans to keep in their diary.
IRN-BRU Cup Round-Up – Kyle Gunn looks back on St Mirren's IRN-BRU Cup journey through to today's semi-final.
The Academy – Match report and pictures from the under-20 side's recent match against Dundee United.
Kit Sponsors 2016/17.
Marketing Matters – Commercial Manager, Campbell Kennedy brings us up to date with all the commercial activities within the Club.
St Mirren Fixtures & Results 2016/17 – A handy reference page of all the fixtures for this season.
Team Lines – The two squads and match officials for Sunday’s match.

To buy this issue or to place your programme subscription for the 2016/17 season click HERE.

If you live outside the UK & Ireland, St Mirren TV is your way to watch Paisley’s top football side live in action each and every home match day.

This service, which is delivered by media students from the University of the West of Scotland, will cover all of St Mirren’s home games.

As usual the St Mirren TV team will be presenting all the action from the Paisley 2021 Stadium when The New Saints are the visitors on Sunday afternoon.

If you want to tune in here is the info you will need:

St Mirren v The New Saints
IRN-BRU Cup, Semi-Final
Venue: Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley
Date: Sunday 19th February 2017
Kick-off: 4:10pm GMT

To access this match day service:

1 Day Pass – €6.99 EUR
Season Pass – €69.99 EUR

To view Terms & Conditions and get started with St Mirren TV please click HERE.

For technical support with St Mirren TV please e-mail tvsupport@stmirren.com

We are giving fans the opportunity to vote for the man of the match and also put two lucky fans in with the chance of winning a £10 voucher for the Club Shop.

Every home game we’ll throw open the voting on the 60 minute mark for 20 minutes where votes can be cast on Facebook and Twitter. All you have to do is use the hashtag #SMFCMOM followed by the name of the player you are voting for, eg ‘#SMFCMOM MALLAN’.

With 10 minutes of the game remaining all the votes will be counted then Stadium Announcer Phil Clark will confirm the winning player over the tannoy system.

From all the fans who nominate the winning player one will be picked at random from the Facebook account and another from the Twitter account and they will each be awarded a £10 voucher for the Club Shop. The winners will be notified through the account they posted from.

So get yourself ready on the hour mark of Sunday’s game against The New Saints and get voting with #SMFCMOM.

Come along and support St Mirren with a superb evening out at corporate hospitality when we welcome Hibernian on Wednesday 1st March.

The corporate hospitality details for the upcoming match against Hibernian are as follows:

St Mirren v Hibernian
Ladbrokes Championship
Venue: Paisley 2021 Stadium, Paisley
Date: Wednesday 1st March 2017
Kick-off: 7:45pm

* Arrive 5:15pm.

* Private car parking facility.

* Enter through the exclusive Westmarch Hospitality Suite entrance.

* Glass of Chilled Bubbly on arrival.

* Hostess table service.

* Three Course meal complemented by fine wines with main course.

* Accreditation in the match day magazine.

* Exclusive match day competitions.

* Match day magazine and corporate team sheets.

* Exclusive Q&A with matchday Ambassadors.

* Executive seating in Main Stand.

* Half-time hot and cold snacks served with tea or coffee.

* Post Match visit to the lounge by players.

* Post Match presentations by the Match Sponsors Man of the Match.

* Inclusive drinks package both pre and post match.**

* Last orders: 10:15pm.

* Bar closes: 10:45pm.

Cost per person: £95 + VAT (drinks inclusive)**

Season Ticket Holder#: £80 + VAT (drinks inclusive)**

Cost per person: £75 + VAT (pay bar)

Child: £40 + VAT

# Adult Season ticket holders £15 discount applicable to season ticket holders only, seat details are required when booking to get discount.

MENU

Lentil soup with wedge of tiger bread

*****

Slow cook roast rib of beef, served with Yorkshire pudding with a creamy mushroom and pepper sauce, with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetable

*****

Lemon panacotta tart with Chantilly cream

*****

Freshly brewed Tea & Coffee

***** 

For more information or to reserve your package please contact Commercial Manager, Campbell Kennedy by Tel: (0141) 840-1337 or E-Mail: commercial@stmirren.com.

To book your place from our e-store please click here

There will be no 'Bung a Baw' competition at Sunday's match but Paisley Panda is pleased to confirm that ‘First Scorer’ will be back.

‘First Scorer’ gives fans the opportunity to predict in advance of the game who they think will score St Mirren's first goal in Sunday’s match against The New Saints.

Two winners will be picked at random from those who guessed correctly and they will each win a family munchy box (4 slush puppies, 4 hot dogs, 4 ice creams and 6 packets of traditional sweets) from Tasty Treats of Bridge of Weir.

To enter all you have to do ahead of the game is post your prediction of the first St Mirren scorer on our Facebook or Twitter feeds using the hashtag #Saints1stgoal.

The lucky winners will be notified through the account they posted from confirming the instructions to collect their voucher from the Club Shop after the match.